| Author | Message | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
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Visited with cliff on the way. H e gave me 6 gell cell batteries that have 160 minutes run time at 25 amps each. and installed them for me. showed me his project and fed me. Thanks Cliff but I am jealous of your bus. your doing what I wish I had time to do to mine. It"s looking great. You will realy dissapoint me though if you don't use that new tail gate, (not really if you don't use it then I can buy it) If you guys ever get a chance to visit Cliff it is a treat seeing what he's doing to his bus, the awsome vegatable soup and grilled cheese his wife made and some funny stories from his daughter then you can talk hot wheels with his son. as for playing in Atlanta, I hope after my visit in Nashville I'll have a decsent booking agent that will have me playing every where. I just arrived at my daughters house in Murfreesboro without a single problem. I have developed another source of oil leak but not bad. this is kind of strange though, I got 6.88 MPG between fort myers and valdosta, and I got 9.47 between valdosta and knoxville. Explain that one. I drove strait through Atlanta around 1:30 pm and didn't even have to hit the brakes. a great first leg of the trip. I met another bus nut in murfreesboro that has Eddie Murphy's old tour bus from the stand up comic days a georgious 85 eagle. He adjusted my brakes. I did some more painting inside and my daughter and I are making cutains today for my bedroom and bathroom. playing a couple gigs while I'm here, one at the almost world famous Buster's Place, the best place to get a burger period. then in Smyrna at the D&D lounge. My daughter has surgery the 25th then Im off to Wi. on the 26th. will keep you posted on my adventure as I travel. may have some internet issues though. my new cell phone it seems does not have an office conectivity kit available for it yet. | ||
| JJ Rating: N/A |
Ron, I'm glad to hear you got the brakes adjusted, 'cuz after driving your beast I was concerned for the safety of the general public. ...JJ | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
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Ron: Sorry, I've been away and may have missed something on this. You state you just got 6 gel cells from someone. What happened to the 8 275-12 Dynasty AGM's of 2 wks. ago? Hate to be continuously raining on your parades, but gel cells are not good in deep cycle service. The industry gives them a very poor rating for this service with a very high early failure record from over-discharging; they are also very slow to re-charge. Just passing on info gleaned from a lot of sites and literature on them. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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Ron - the next time your coming to Fla please let us know - I'd like to meet you, but missed you this trip - maybe if you give enough notice I can book a show or two for you (I'm not an agent) - Your all right in my book - good Luck - Niles | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Hey Niles, what about booking a show or two for me and Susan? We're doing Kettle Corn on weekends at various shows and having a blast! If you know of any, keep me informed! Right now we have many bookings for the remainder of the year but there is always time for others! Besides, you've already met me!  Ace | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
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hey Ace you wanna come to wisconsin? | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Not really! I'd be glad to work closer to home say like IN Florida! Thanks anyway... Ace | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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Ace - Now that I know, I'll keep you in mind if I see any opportunities for you - Do I get to sample the left overs? - I'm certainly gonna make sure I park next to you at the next rally - Niles | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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LOL Yea sure! We've met a lot of freeloaders since aquiring this little venture but were only doing it for the fun anyway! Even though it has been fun we have made a bunch of dough with more in site! We have met a lot of people and had GREAT positive feedback on our 2 flavors! Hardest thing I have found is getting booked but like anything else, it doesn't just get handed to you! You have to knock on a lot of doors and kiss a lot of butt! Something I"M not to used to doing but I'm learning! LOL If you send me your address, I'll return your sample and then you can give me your opinion! NO, one of the flavors is NOT JD BLACK! SORRY Ace | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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Ace - I was thinkin KETTLE 1 - but seriously, I'll wait and get a 'fresh' sample - just a few ideas off the top of my head are the Webster flea market (weekly), the Strawberry Festival in Plant city, and the annual Rattlesnake roundup in San Antonio (near Dade City) - Remember you don't have to be 'In' the event, but close by the entrance (lotta sales are made coming and going - and, these are all close to you - and, most certainly the right crowd - Like I said I'll keep you in mind - Niles | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Strawberry festival is closed to independent vendors, Webster Flea mkt has 2 already and they fight all the time, and the Rattlesnake deal is kind of scary though I have thought about it! Right now, we are booked for all of the Lakeland music events, all of the Bluegrass events in Dade City at the Sertoma Youth ranch. We also are booked for two 4th of July shows in Lakeland one on the 1st and one on the 4th which are both pretty big. I booked a 4 day event at Cypress Gardens in October. I also have a 3 day event in Lakeland which is the Classic Car show. Been trying to get in USA speedway for their race events but still waiting on permission. I have also done some local church festivals which are one dayer's and that was kind of scary if you know what I mean! I had to really be on my toes with good behavior! So far we have only been doing this for about 2 months and have had a blast! Keep me in mind! Oh yea and Jack Conrad has seen me and Susan in action and he can tell you, we're a class act, so to speak! Ace | ||
| Alan Kline
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Hay Ace from eyeglass cleaners to Kettle Corn What next? Say Hi to Susan Looking forward to Bussin 06 Paco Xpress. | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
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If your real good maybe Jack will invite you to Bussin 2006 - I hear its a blast, but not as rough a crowd as them church peoples - On another note - Don't forget the Brandon Balloon Fest, Guavaween, Gasparilla, the Hillsborough County fair (not Fla State), and the Bucs season is just around the corner - Niles | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Hey Allen wasup? You just never know what we'll do next! Oh yea Niles, I forgot There were some deals in Ybor city and I DID forget the Brandon Balloon fest! I have been invite to Gauvaween and Gasparilla too! Thanks for the reminder! Keep thinking! Ace | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
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I have already told Ace & $usan that they are welcome to set up at Bussin' 2006. Personally, I hope they do, but I might gain a few pounds during our rally if they do. LOL Jack | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Now Jack it isn't all THAT bad is it? Besides. you might be able to add a few and go un-noticed! LOL Ace | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
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Boy I'm Glad every body's thrilled to here from me on "Aces popcorn thread" As for raining on my parade, you really can't do it. I'm actualy living my dream and using my bus,actualy living in it on the road full time. how bout you? The batteries were FREE 6 instead of 8 beggers can't be choosy. as for how long they last they were FREE if they only last a year that's a free year of batteries and a lesson in battery types. at any rate they are better than the 2 boat batteries I had. Any body got a comment on the fuel mileage thing? | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Ron don't go there bud! We're all glad you got your bus going to where you can use it and enjoy it! We're all glad you got a good deal (to you) on USED batteries and a lesson on top of that which is priceless. Sorry the thread took a turn and involved other items to chat about but what exactly are you wanting to hear from us. If you tell us, we'll all chime in and maybe give a big clap or two just for you! Keep in mind there are more things in life than JUST busses and from being a bus owner, you tend to meet people all the time and those people end up chatting on sites just like this, about EVERYTHING, including everyday stuff, so get a life and sing and dance your way to wherever your heading, and maybe one day we'll even get to meet each other and chat about other stuff besides MY bus and YOUR bus! Have a great day! Ace | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
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Ron: I have to agree, 6 for free that are working, of any type, is a hell of a deal. If u pay particular attention to the gells and try not to discharge them too deep, and if they are in reasonably good condition, you could get good life from them. Make an extra effort to keep them at 12v or better and they may give good service. And no, I don't full-time. After 6 or so wks. in the confines of the bus I yearn for my 15 acres of seclusion and my other pursuits, so I head back to the home base. I do travel a lot in the bus though; over 100k mi. in 8 yrs. and probably near 1/2 million in several RV's in the last 30 yrs. and usually never travel the same road twice unless it's the ONLY way in and out. In a broad sense, I can say, Been There, Done That! | ||
| Cliff (Floridacracker)
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Ron, If you would get rid of that Harley you could put a big popcorn popper in that trailer and work the interstate rest area circuit in your travels. Don't forget the "cheese popcorn" for those Packer fans. Cliff | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
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Ace, Don't take it so serious. notice the smiley face ast end of comment. It was just a joke. I don't let much get to me except when some one does something nice for me then some one else says it's junk or won't work. I'd much rather replace 6 free batteries every year than buy 6 new ones at a thousand dollars or more every three years. If properly taken care of I bet I get at least a year or 2 out of these. as for places for your pop corn venture. Everglade city sea food festival, fort myers beach shrimp festival, edison days, fort myers, theres a book that has all festivals for any given state and contact info in it well worth the few bucks it might cost. Cliff just gonna get a bigger trailer. may put a silk screen set up in it tired of counting on other people and getting screwed on my t-shirts and other products. that's a lot of fuel money to me. Thanks for helping me out on the batteries. I watched 4 dvd's this week ran a saw and lights with my inverter and only ran my genset for a short while to top off batteries. so far they have not dropped below 12 volts. I usualy turn off the inverter when not in use and I'm getting the remote for it to make it more convenient. | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Ron, for the record you're one of my favorite people around here . Maybe not the most knowledgable but willing to share what data you have and approaching things from an ultra-cost-effective angle that makes me appreciate your experiences more as I'll be going the same route soon. Oh and guys? I got the first $5,700 bucks already, got a good bike with that, and my lawyer overnighted a check for $70k today. There'll be another tiny check for some interest due to the gov't delay on payment but the upshot is, I ain't gonna be busless for long . Got this already: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/72496898.html Put 250 miles on the sucker in three days . | ||
| Jim Stewart (H3jim)
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So Jim, Nice bike. Have you decided on what type of bus yet? Are ou getting closer to a decision? | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Sigh. It's TOUGH, you know? A top choice is that 29' Bluebird in Kansas. There are..."issues" though. The thing seems reasonably well built but the current owner is WAY ignorant. He also never put in a working tach (and neither has anybody else since the gasser conversion roughly 1989ish), doesn't know for sure how it's geared, doesn't know what engine it is(!) and doesn't know what the tranny is. Grrr. My concern is that it'll turn out to be geared all crazy and the engine has been overreved for some period of time, it's also possible this was originally an intercooled turbo motor and the intercooler has been removed without retuning or injector swaps, another possible cause of the reported low milage. WORST case the engine has been hurt through all this. I'm going to look at a couple critters locally over the next two days. There's a 4102 that's a "partial fixer upper" - needs paint, needs a kitchen added but seems basically solid and is WAY cheap. I'd have to have it checked it out IN DETAIL professionally though. And there's...well, a really interesting "ancestor of the Renegade/Showhauler sort of critter" that's available local. It's a 1988 "really big ClassC with rear garage" build on a Ford F450 commercial frame/cab/driveline. 32ft overall. Currently a gasser but with an industrial-grade 5spOD manual "tow truck tranny" that could take a Ford Powerstroke diesel as a drop-in. Total package including the base rig, enclosing the currently open rear and having a rebuilt Powerstroke put in would be under $25k, certainly inside my budget and "commercial long-haul tough"...and it's almost 7ft inside plus 102" wide. It's also netting about 14mpg as a gasser, should hit 17 - 18 as a diesel...I'm basing that latter on numerous reports of people using Powerstroke F350 manual-shift duallies with large 5th wheelers and such. I know, after ALL this it ain't a bus(!) but...it does seem to fit my needs. http://racingjunk.com/exec/ca/view/427850/FORD-F450-MOTOR-HOME-CAR-HAULER.html (It turns out "Hansen Haulers" is still in business at the same address since '88 but doing race trailers only once in a while, they're mostly a machine shop...but they helped start the whole "custom motorhome on a commercial truck chassis" movement and have a good rep. Wouldn't THAT be a capper, I end up with something other than a bus?) | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
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Nice scooter. and not a bad price. very quick and a great handler, good move. now make a smart decision on your bus. or vehichle you choose. looking forward to seeing your rig. I saw a rig in Gainesville Fl. at the all harley drag races that was Leane Rihmes tour bus, it was a truck chassie with a garage and cabin. very cool. it looked like someone put an old gm bus on top of it hard to explain but was real cool. built by a manufacturer that way. keep us posted and happy hunting. with a check like that your in the drivers seat | ||
| Jim Stewart (H3jim)
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well Jim, Keep us posted as what you end up with. Those pics look a lot like what you've been saying you want. Although it not a bus, (thats my thing) if it fits your needs, go for it. Wouldn't hurt to make no hasty decisions, and take your time, make sure you've seen enough of what's out there. Good luck | ||
| H3 (Ace)
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Leane Rhimes tour bus when she first started out on tour was made by Kingsley. Don't know if this is what she has now or not but sounds like it! They make a really nice truck conversion for a really nice buck! Ace | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Well this thing is constructed *exactly* like a Kingsley/Showhauler/Renegade sort of thing. Steel tube lattis frame on an industrial truck chassis, aluminum skinned. I'm scheduled to look at it tomorrow at 11:00am. In the meantime I printed out pictures and took them to "RV Doctor George" here in Sacramento; this guy has a very good rep for RV bodywork and was the guy I was planning to use for a short extension/box at the rear of a Bluebird. See also: http://www.rvdoctorgeorge.com He confirms that given how it's built, "boxing" that rear off would be very doable, well within budget and will produce a critter that is worth what I've paid for it (base plus mods in the $20k range). Basically...when I first started this quest, I first looked at the Showhauler/Renegade/Kingsley/etc. class with integral garage, prices starting in the $125k range based on a Freightliner FL70 or similar chassis. I originally thought I had more money coming than what finally came through. In short, the "front engine" layouts allow easy rear garage loading. Trying to get the same thing going out of a bus is REAL tricky with everything except a Bluebird or a Crown/Gillig mid-motor with reinforced rear frame. What THIS particular beastie is is a "slightly smaller scale" Kingsley/Showhauler. Turns out this company was a pioneer in the concept of "industrial parts sourced" RVs and only built a total of 50 units. This was one of the first, later ones were built on GMC Topkicks and other mid-size critters. The *downside* of this critter is that it won't have a massive amount of leftover towing capacity the way the Kingsleys and such do! It WOULD be strong enough to carry itself, my "stuff", two bikes, reasonable tools and 150gal fresh/gray tanks. On top of that it could tow a SMALL travel trailer, 14' boat or a small toad (econobox, VW bug, etc...*maybe* a small Japanese 4-banger truck). But that's fine because I don't need the mega-towing capacity a race team needs, or somebody taking horses to the track or whatever. I will very seldom need to tow anything at all; the only bit I can see as useful might be a small travel trailer as a "special use guest bedroom" and that would be a trailer so small a 4banger car could tow it. In exchange for this lesser towing and slightly smaller interior (NOT much smaller!) I get better mileage even as a gasser, much better if I swap to diesel later. The parts situation is extremely plentiful and cheap. And the long "pickup truck" hood makes repairs and maintenance VERY easy, a big point in favor as I'll be doing a lot of it myself . The chassis is good for an absolute minimum of 1/2 mil miles; they often go much more than that in highly stressful tow truck service. Still not a bus but WAY ahead of even the best mass-market RVs. And it's 7ft tall inside . ------------ Think of it this way: It's not exactly that you're all "busnuts", you're really something else: rebels against the mass-market *bullshit* of the normal RV market...the Godawful Fleetwoods, Monacos, Winnabagos and such. That's really the connection between the "bus guys" and the "industrial chassis conversions" and those two worlds need to realize they're "allied" and can exchange info/tips/etc. |